«Anya, I’m home,» called Vera as she entered the apartment. A thirteen-year-old girl emerged from the room.
«Mom, you’re home early today.»
«Yes, I came home a bit early. Next week I’ll need to work a couple of hours more. How are you? How’s school?»
«Fine, nothing new.»
«You look a bit pale. You should go outside while I prepare dinner.»
Anya smiled:
«Alright, Mom. I just got such an interesting book from the library, I can’t put it down. I’ll combine pleasure with benefit.»
Anya quickly got ready and left the house. Vera sighed. She’s just like her father—he also always carried books with him. He was smart, very smart and wealthy, not suitable for Vera.
Fourteen years ago, Vera, a medical college student, fell in love. Igor was not just wonderful, he was the best. They could talk for hours, wander around the city, just sit by the water, and they were never bored. At the same time, Igor was not a nerd; he was into sports.
Back then, Vera could list his positive qualities for hours. But then he invited her home to meet his parents. Vera could only think about one thing—how to leave as soon as possible. She felt uncomfortable, like a rabbit in front of pythons.
Igor’s parents were not just wealthy, they were fabulously wealthy. A huge house, servants—for Vera, who was born and raised in a poor neighborhood where men drank more often than ate, being in such luxury was unbearable. Igor’s mother talked to her husband and son, she simply did not notice Vera, as if she were an empty space. Running home, she fell to her knees in front of her mother and told her where she had been.
«Mom, what should I do?»
«Think for yourself, daughter. Suppose Igor actually marries you, but how will his circle treat you? It’s up to you, of course, but there’s a saying: pick a mate from your own social standing.»
Vera didn’t sleep all night. Igor didn’t believe her words.
«Vera, I don’t believe you. I know for sure, you love me.»
Without looking at him, she replied:
«You know, people are deceitful creatures; it’s time to understand that.»
«What about me? I love you.»
«You’ll get over it, you’re young. It’s time for me to go.»
She glanced into his eyes for a second and, holding back tears, walked away. Just to not fall down, just to get around the corner.
She couldn’t get out of bed for almost two weeks. Her mother was seriously worried about her.
«Darling, maybe see a doctor? You can’t go on like this.»
«No, I’ll manage, just need some time.»
Two weeks later she got up, thin, with dark circles under her eyes, and started to learn to live anew. Only a month later did she realize something was wrong, something was happening in her body, and it was completely unfamiliar—pregnancy. Nine weeks pregnant.
The doctor sarcastically asked:
«Well, are we running to terminate?»
Vera stood up:
«No!»
The doctor caught up with her in the corridor:
«Girl, girl! Here, take these tests, you need to get them done. When everything is ready, come, I’ll register you. I’ve been working for years, I can’t stand watching those who carelessly dispose of another’s life.»
A lot of time has passed since then. Her mother quickly fell ill and passed away. Vera had to drop out of school and worked as a sanitary worker, though at a good clinic. There was no reason to complain about the salary, but her biggest dream was to educate Anya so that she could see a different life beyond this impoverished neighborhood.
Memories flashed through her mind like a shadow. Vera looked out into the yard and saw Anya turning the corner. Right across the street, almost stretching to the city center, began the park. Hardly anyone walked at this end—no kiosks, no stalls, just silence, and the river quietly carried its waters. Her daughter loved reading there.
«Anya, I’m home,» called Vera, entering the apartment. A thirteen-year-old girl came out of the room.
«Mom, you’re home early today.»
«Yes, I came home a bit early. Next week I’ll need to work a couple of extra hours. How are you? How’s school?»
«Fine, nothing new.»
«You look a bit pale. You should go outside while I make dinner.»
Anya smiled:
«Okay, mom. I just took such an interesting book from the library, I can’t put it down. I’ll combine the pleasant with the useful.»
Anya quickly got ready and left the house. Vera sighed. She’s just like her father—he always carried books around too. He was smart, very smart and wealthy, too good for Vera.
Fourteen years ago, Vera, a medical college student, fell in love. Igor was not just wonderful, he was the best. They could talk for hours, wander around the city, just sit by the water, and they were never bored. Despite that, Igor was not a nerd; he was into sports.
At that time, Vera could spend hours listing his positive qualities. But then he invited her home to meet his parents. Vera could only think about one thing—how to leave as soon as possible. She felt uncomfortable, like a rabbit in front of pythons.
Igor’s parents were not just wealthy, they were fabulously rich. A huge house, servants—for Vera, who was born and raised in a poor neighborhood where men drank more often than ate, being in such luxury was unbearable. Igor’s mother spoke with her husband and son, completely ignoring Vera as if she were invisible. Running home, she fell to her knees in front of her mother and told her where she had been.
«Mom, what should I do?»
«Think for yourself, daughter. Suppose Igor does marry you, but how will his circle treat you? It’s up to you, of course, but there’s a saying: choose a mate who matches your own kind.»
Vera didn’t sleep all night. Igor didn’t believe her words.
«Vera, I don’t believe you. I know for sure you love me.»
Without looking at him, she replied:
«You know, people are deceitful creatures; it’s time you understood that.»
«What about me? I love you.»
«You’ll get over it, you’re young. It’s time for me to go.»
She glanced into his eyes for a second and, holding back tears, walked away. Just to not fall, just to get around the corner.
She couldn’t get out of bed for almost two weeks. Her mother was seriously worried about her.
«Darling, maybe see a doctor? You can’t go on like this.»
«No, I’ll manage, just need some time.»
Two weeks later she got up, thin, with dark circles under her eyes, and started to learn to live anew. Only a month later did she realize something was wrong, something was happening in her body, and it was completely unfamiliar—pregnancy. Nine weeks pregnant.
The doctor sarcastically asked:
«Well, are we running to terminate?»
Vera stood up:
«No!»
The doctor caught up with her in the corridor:
«Girl, girl! Here, take these tests, you need to get them done. When everything is ready, come, I’ll register you. I’ve been working for years, I can’t stand watching those who carelessly dispose of another’s life.»
A lot of time has passed since then. Her mother quickly fell ill and passed away. Vera had to drop out of school and worked as a sanitary worker, though at a good clinic. There was no reason to complain about the salary, but her biggest dream was to educate Anya so that she could see a different life beyond this impoverished neighborhood.
Memories flashed through her mind like a shadow. Vera looked out into the yard and saw Anya turning the corner. Right across the street, almost stretching to the city center, began the park. Hardly anyone walked at this end—no kiosks, no stalls, just silence, and the river quietly carried its waters. Her daughter loved reading there.
Anya approached her favorite bench and smiled. She had recently started calling it her own after observing where there were the least people around. It turned out that this bench was the least crowded because there was a bush in front of it blocking the view.
The girl settled comfortably, opened a book, planning to immerse herself in reading, when suddenly she heard:
«Quiet, quiet, no need, go away.» — The voice was male, trembling with fear.
Strange, it was always quiet here, no hooligans around. Anya, by nature, couldn’t just stand by. She cautiously peeked from behind the bush and almost laughed. A grown man stood surrounded by stray dogs. They were big but kind, and no one knew that better than Anya. The dogs were probably just begging for treats, but the man thought they were attacking him. She couldn’t just watch any longer; she always saved everyone, even flies at home she wouldn’t kill but would let outside. Slamming her book shut, Anya moved towards the man.
«Girl, don’t come near, they’re dangerous!» he exclaimed.
The dogs, recognizing her, joyfully rushed towards her. The man looked on in horror and then ran after her, presumably to save her. Anya petted her friends and scolded:
«What are you doing? You scared the man half to death. Go home now, or I’ll tell your owner.»
The dogs lowered their heads and walked towards the house. Anya turned to the stranger:
«Don’t be afraid of them, they only look menacing. Besides, if you show fear, dogs can sense it.»
The man smiled:
«I know, but I can’t help it. Whenever I see a big dog, I just freeze. Thank you so much, you were right on time.»
Anya smiled, the man was likable:
«I often come here, on that bench to read. It’s nice here, nobody bothers me.»
He laughed:
«Believe it or not, I come here sometimes for the same reason—to sit in quiet and read. What book did you bring?»
Anya handed him the copy.
«Good choice. Here’s what I have.» — He showed his book. «See, it’s old, but a very dear person gave it to me, so I often reread it. We even have poems that we read together. Take it.»
Anya shook her head:
«No, what are you, I can’t. What would your dear person say?»
«He won’t say anything. We haven’t been together for a long time, I don’t even know where that person is now. So take it.» — The man handed her the small book and walked down the path easily.
The girl stood for a bit, then also went home. She couldn’t wait to tell her mom everything that happened.
«Anya, how many times have I asked you not to talk to strangers, especially unknown men? What if he had been some kind of maniac? And in a park where there’s nobody nearby!»
«Mom, what are you talking about? He was well-dressed, scared of dogs, and reading a book. How can such a person be bad?»
Vera struggled to keep a straight face and said sternly:
«Never do that again, otherwise, I’ll forbid you from going to the park.»
Anya pouted, offended, but she couldn’t stay angry for long.
«Mom, he gave me a book, a big beautiful one. Look, there’s a bookmark here. Apparently, he reads this piece often, such beautiful lines.»
Vera smiled, glanced into the book, gasped, and turned pale. She took it from her daughter’s hands, closed it, looked at the cover for a long time, then opened the first page. «To my Igor, with love.»
The book slipped from Vera’s hands and fell to the floor.
«Mom, what’s wrong?»
«Nothing, honey.»
Anya tried to figure out what happened all dinner. When they were cleaning up and washing dishes, she finally asked:
«Mom, did it seem to you, or do you know this book?»
Vera sighed:
«No, it didn’t just seem so. I gave it to Igor many years ago.»
Anya’s eyes widened:
«Mommy, tell me!»
«There’s not much to tell. We dated…»
«It seems he’s still suffering.»
«Don’t make things up, it’s been many years. He has a family, children by now. Maybe the book just came to hand, and he remembered.»
Anya was silent, then asked:
«Mom, did you love him?»
«I did.»
«Why didn’t you stay together?»
«Because there were too many circumstances that made it impossible for us to be together. He was getting an education abroad, and I was at a local college. You can’t deceive yourself, we were too different.»
«Mom, that’s such nonsense. You can’t compare love and money.»
Vera laughed:
«Anya, stop it. You don’t even understand what love is.»
Anya puffed up offendedly again. She understood everything. For example, she really liked Kolka, but she would never tell him about it.
And then the girl even paused. Wait. What does that mean? She won’t tell Kolka because she’s sure he wouldn’t even look at her. Because Kolka is very handsome, his dad is some big boss, Kolka has the trendiest clothes, and girls from the whole school chase after him. Turns out, mom is right.
Anya was so upset that she went to her room, pondered all this for a long time, but couldn’t come to any conclusion. It all turned out that mom was wrong, but on the other hand…
She saw the man again two weeks later. She was sitting with the very book he had given her, reading the bookmarked poem for the thousandth time.
«Hello.»
Anya jumped:
«Oh, hello.»
«Did you like the poems?»
«Yes, very much, especially this one.» — Anya showed the page.
«Yes, I agree. Perhaps, it’s the best piece.»
«My mom says the same.»
«Did you show her the book?»
«Yes. At first, she scolded me because she forbids me to talk to strangers.»
The man nodded:
«That’s absolutely right.»
«Then she cried.»
«Cried? Why?»
«She recognized this book, said that she gave it to you a long time ago.»
The man stood up, then sat down again:
«That can’t be. The person who gave me this book died a long time ago.»
Anya looked at the man frightenedly.
«Maybe mom was mistaken.»
The man irritably threw out:
«Probably. By the way, what’s your mom’s name?»
«Vera. Vera Zagorodskaya.»
The man sat down again, stunned.
«No, this can’t be.» — It seemed like he was talking to himself. — «Vera’s mom told me that she was no more, asked me to forget, not to come, and not to remind.»
He stood up again.
«Let’s go.»
Anya shrank.
«Where?»
«To your mom.»
Anya shook her head.
«I don’t think she’d be happy about it. If she wanted to see you, she would have said so.»
«And what did she actually say?»
«She said that you couldn’t be together because you were on very different levels.»
«Levels… To think only of oneself! Well, Vera, I’ll show you!»
While Igor was scolding himself, Vera, and the whole wide world, Anya quietly slipped away.
He smiled. And immediately understood that Vera still lived where she had lived. He had not been in that area since the conversation with her mother.
«Mom, I met him again.»
«Who?»
«The man who gave me the book.»
«So… what did you talk about?»
«I also thought he didn’t remember you. But he started yelling! Mom, he somehow thought you were dead.»
«We agreed to that with grandma. We couldn’t move to another place because there simply wasn’t enough money for moving. Lying is very bad, but we had to do it. It was better for everyone.»
«I wonder, for whom exactly? For you, for your mom? For whom is it better? Maybe for me? Did you ask me about it?»
Vera flinched. Apparently, Anya had not closed the door, and Igor had come into the room. He had become even more handsome and even more familiar.
Vera’s voice just disappeared, and she suddenly started crying. Anya hugged her, and they sat like that while Igor paced the room.
«You knew exactly how I felt about you. You only thought about yourself. All this time, I believed you had died… God, I never married, buried my parents, and remained alone in this world. And you… you probably have everything: a husband, a daughter.»
Vera wiped her eyes.
«No husband, never had one. But you have a daughter.» — She looked up at Igor. — «Lord, what a fool I’ve been.»
Anya looked back and forth between her mom and the pale Igor.
«Mom? Mom, is this my dad?»
Vera nodded and hid her face in her hands. Igor sat next to her, then looked at Anya.
«Well, let’s get acquainted. I’ll talk to your mom later. Now we have all the time in the world.»
